Photo by Jim Jung. All rights reserved.

Purple Fringeless Orchids

These are one of our most common and showiest orchids and one of the easiest to see since they inhabit ditches and low wet areas near many of our rural roadways. Their vivid lilac color, their height (three to four feet), and their large (for one of our orchids) flowers all combine to make this a conspicuous plant when in bloom.

Like all of our native orchids the Purple Fringeless Orchid requires the existence of a fungal partner in order to survive. The fungus is found in intimate association with the roots and shares water and nutrients with the orchid and presumably receives something in return - though this is far from proved. The fungus is very finicky about where and when it will grow which is why orchids are fairly rare. At any rate when the fungus dies the orchid dies as well since it is unable to obtain vital nutrients. Which means, in the simplest terms, that these orchids do not transplant at all! Leave them where you found them and if you absolutely have to possess one then gather the seed capsules in the fall and salt some likely spot on your property with their seeds. With luck your seeds will encounter the proper fungus at the right time and within a year or two you should a thriving clump.

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